Humidifying apparatus



1936- E. SOUTHWORTH ET AL 2,060,253

HUMIDIFYING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 28, 1936 Izwezflors 'EdwardJouzhwm-zh Grenville whibngg Patented Nov. 10, 19 36 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,060,258 nommmrmo APPARATUS Application April 28., 1936, Serial No. 76,762

5 Claims.

In the art of mechanical humidification the use of plural vapor sources has emphasized the importance of the humidifying unit as such, and the present invention is directed to the improvement of the structures and performance of such units.

As conditions vary considerably in plants in diflerent parts of the United States and often more so as between conditions in this country and abroad, there is an urgent need for a sound basis of computations for production, installation, maintenance and of operation.

In order to provide for a high standard of engineering, our concept contemplates the provision of mechanical units of known efficiency, which can be manufactured at reasonable cost with an assurance that they can be operated with economy and so are made available as known specification factors. Such units afford the most competent basis for estimating any proposed installation, in their installations with a most reasonable certainty of meeting requirements, and of giving continued satisfaction in performance.

The present invention provides for a unit in which an improved humidifying head or instrument is the standard basic factor and yet provides for a wide range of aptitude to local conditions. This is because its humidifying instrumentality while capable of production on standardized bases of output is freefrom any particular pre-commitment in motorization. It provides for a wide range of drive specification so that any plant may beengineered according to its highest needs coupled with a potential eillciency and economy in current consumption.

The present invention provides for selective substitutable or interchangeable motorization in contrast with previous tendencies to make of such special motors a problem instead of a convenient factor or element of power contributing to efilciency without the handicap of subordination to a pre-commitment as to electric drive.

As illustrative of these we have shown in the accompanying drawings humidifying units both as motorized heads and as indirectly driven units, as will be discussed later.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side view partly sectioned showing a humidifierunit, motorized and bracketed.

Fig. 2 is a smaller elevation of such a bracketed assembly.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary section through the lower part of the casing, its impeller disc and impact teeth.

Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of an assembly motor-, ized with a non-aligned mount of shafts.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation having its guard partly broken away, of the modified form of the bracketed assembly shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a rear view of a further modified mounting in which the drive is shown in nonaligned type as by an overhead power shaft, and

Fig. 7 is a partly sectioned view of coupler, fan 10 and pulley-spacer assembly.

Our present concept contemplates the use of motor or other standard power sources so that our standard units can be motorized or driven according to local conditions. In this way we provide for the use of standard motors for any peculiarities of current or its relation to speed. Some installations can be figured without motors or with a customer-option to buy his own stock favorite type or make and winding, voltage or cycle.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings we-preferably provide in any such humidifying unit head a shaft I mounted in a circular fixed case 2 having a surrounding flange or gutter 3 at its periphery and having an open front as at l. The lower portion of the flange 3 is provided with-a lip 3 which defines a crescent shaped basin 5 at its lower side. Such is drained as by a waste pipe 6 which may discharge into a catch basin 1 drained as at 8.

Within the casing 2 is a dished rotatable disc 9 held on the shaft i by a nut l0 against a clamping washer 30. This clamps the disc 9 firmly against the face of its corresponding member 3|.

According to our present invention the impeller disc 9 is preferably slightly dished with its concaved side disposed outwardly towards the open face 4 of the casing 2. By making our disc with a slight but definite concavity or curvature of diametric cross section, we get great rigidity, especially as under the tension of the clamping washers 30 and 3|. This does not in practice interfere at all with the radial flow of the water from its center outwardly under the centrifugal action of the disc in its high speed of rotation. By'making our disc 9 of shallow dished form and running it at high speed we secure both radial stiflness and improved component of water throw. By sucha structure we are able to use lighter weights of discs of concaved or modified figure. This is advantageous as to speed and power consumption and permits a very close ad- Justment of the disc edge 9 to the teeth I! with perfect safety.

' Centrally of the casing 2 is a forwardly projecting boss or hearing 40 within which are lodged suitable anti-friction bearings ll locked as at 42. The passage of the shaft I through the bearing 40 is protected by a dish-shaped water guard 35 mounted just behind the clamp II and adapted to throw off any water that may tend to creep down centrally of the bearing as it is fed from the bent end I3 of the pipe l3. This pipe extends through a lateral boss 44 on the bearing boss 40 and oflsets it axially clear of the water disc guard 35 and brings the end of the pipe 13 closely adjacent the disc 9 adjacent its center as usual in this art.

This long bearing hub 40 gives an improved support to the shaft 1 and ls especially important in relation to the disc 9-as before described and to the fan 20 which we mount preferably adjacent the central boss portion 2 of the easing 2. The shaft I may be variously driven as will be later discussed. It preferably is provided with a shaft coupling I4 adjacent the fan 20.by which a motor M or any other power, or driving influence or source may be connected to the unit.

. The fixed teeth I! are preferably formed along the edge of the band l'l clamped about the annular flange IS on the inner face of the casing 2. This band I1 has its ends I! disposed at right angles and is drawn up and tensioned as by a clamp bolt [8 passing through them. These may be conveniently located at the top in the line of the vertical diameter of the casing and opposite the waste pipe 6. Thus adjusted and tensioned the teeth I! are supported as an annular series and close to the edge of the disc 9 without danger of contact from normal operating causes, such as excessive vibration which sometimes has caused accidents in prior structures, especially whenever it has been attempted to speed up the disc to increase the discharge of water.

The teeth I! are therefore readily removable and replaceable by simply loosening the clamp i8 and mounting a new band I1 as a replacement in case teeth are broken, bent or otherwise dama ed.

In the form shown the casing 2 is preferably imperforate and acts to shield the formation of the vapors at the edge of the disc 9 as the water is discharged against the teeth H. The matter of the admission or exclusion of air currents within the vaporizing head is a matter of adjustment to local working conditions and as indicated in the prior art, the admission of air to the interior of the head depends on the conditions under which the head is operating. Theoretically, a certain amount of air within the head is highly desirable. Practically, where such air contains floating lint, the admission of the air may work for difficulties that may be desirable to avoid.

Perforation of the casing as outside of the zone of vaporization may be provided to admit a certain amount of air to the interior of the casing and relieve any back pressure that might be developed axially of the front. However, our open front I of our casing 2 gives in most instances an entirely satisfactory balance of air pressures.

In most of the sovereign States of the United States, guards are required by law for fans or like rotating members for safety sake. Also, it is in accordance with usual practice to provide for a reasonably directed flow of air from such a fan as 20 to the edge of the casing 2 and maintain it with reasonable definiteness. We preferably provide such a guard as a slightly flaring outer shell 50 about the fan and open to the casing 2. The guard 50 is supported on the arm by any suitable mounting as by cradle straps 5|. Its forward end is steadied by straps 62 or like connections to the casing 2.

Where a motor is supplied as part of such a unit it may be supported on a post ll set in a socket I 2 at the end or laterally of the arm. The arm I2 is in turn supported by a bracket adapted to be carried on a wall or column whereever it is desired to have the apparatus positioned.

While we have shown a motor aligned with the fan and disc shaft in Fig. l as a common type of direct drive unit, and this is logical and satisfactory in many instances, we have found, however, that the matter of optimum speed for the disc is of great importance. As such speeds are diflicult to provide for and maintain economically on any usual motor basis, our concept includes thatof non-aligned drive shafts which may be connected up by belting or like connection.

As show in Figs. 4 and 5 a head unit is provided with a pulley on the inner end of its fan and disc shaft. This as shown is driven from a non-aligned motor M having a suitable V-grooved or like pulley P for driving the belt B and shaft pulley P In this form the bracket arm I20 has a stepped support I2I for the base of the motor. Such a motor it will be observed may be of any available or preferred type or speed and belted to the fan and disc shaft to give any desired peripheral speed for the impeller disc 9.

In Fig. 6 we have indicated another characteristic suggested installation. As shown the shaft 200 may be taken as a driving shaft such as an overhead shafting in a hanger 20L This is provided with a pulley 202 and is belted as at 203 to a pulley 204 on the end of the disc and fan shaft.

As before pointed out units according tothe present invention may be variously supported and such supports may include a bed for detachably or interchangeably mounting a motor. This as before explained may be original equipment but in many instances, particularly where foreign installations are involved, the motor may not be supplied and mounted on its base so that cus-- tomer selection on any proper motor as such is conveniently possible and yet consistent with sound engineering. This often makes possible considerable saving to the customer by reason of its own motor local supply source on duties and like uncontrollable import factors of cost.

According to the present invention such motors may be considered as distinct from the humidifying heads or like instrument unit. This is in contrast to humidifying equipment including a builtin-motor. Nevertheless, the vaporizing units are capable of being selectively and interchangeably motorized by simple connections to assure standard performance. The drives merely have to be coupled and the pulleys belted as where an indirect drive is used, as suggested in Figs. 4, 5 and 6.

As shown in Fig. 1 the disc may be of cup shape with certain advantages attained thereby. However, the disc may be of any desired curve in radial section.

The water supply as shown in the construction suggested in Fig. 1 may be introduced through a lateral boss 44 on the hub 40. It is led in preferably laterally to clear the water guard 35 and deliver direct as to the center clamp 3|. As shown the water is delivered through a bent nozzle I3 of a pipe l3 which may be clamped as at l3 to a water supply line I3 As shown in Fig. 1 the coupler M may consist of a pair of members consisting of end discs I4 and I4. On these is a tubular extension M for receiving the shaft end which may be conveniently pinned to it. The extension I may carry the fan 20 as indicated. At its outer end it bears against the end bearing of the outer hub'2 Various modifications may be made in the details of the vaporizer head or instrument as such,

as well as in the various motors combinations, as before suggested.

What we therefore claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:-

1. A humidifier including a vaporizing casing, consisting of an outwardly flaring open face casing, an axial hub within said casing and extending forwardly of its interior face, a shaft revolubly supported in said hub, a water supply discharging centrally of said casing, a rotor disc on said shaft and faced to the casing opening and operative to produce a peripheral water discharge, an annular set of radial teeth interceptively disposed with reference to the peripheral discharge of the disc, a fan on the shaft adjacent the rear hub end, a motor support externally of the casing and a driving connection between the motor shaft and disc shaft end whereby said casing, disc and fan unit may be detachably assembled and disassembled as such.

2. A humidifier including a vaporizing casing, consisting of an outwardly flaring open face casing, an axial hub within said casing and extending forwardly of its interior face, said casing having an axial hub extending rearwardly thereof in alignment with said first named hub, a shaft revolubly supported in said hubs, a water supply discharging centrally of said casing, a rotor disc on said shaft and faced to the casing opening and operative to produce a peripheral water dis charge, an annular set of radial teeth interceptively disposed with reference to the peripheral discharge of the disc, a fan on the shaft adjacent the rear hub end, a motor support externally of the casing and a driving connection between the motor shaft and disc shaft end whereby said casing, disc and fan unit may be detachably assembled. and disassembled as such.

3. In a humidifying unit, a support, a vaporizing casing consisting of a humidifying head, including a shaft bearing, a shaft revolubly supported in said bearing, a water supply discharg ing centrally of said casing, a rotor disc on said shaft, and a coupler member adjacent the shaft end including a pair of shaft-receivers, means of said receivers. having a sleeve-like portion adapted to be fixed to the shaft rearwardly of the rear end of its casing bearing, a fan on said shaft adjacent its end coupler member and spaced thereon from the bearing end, and a second sleeve detachably and replaceably mounted thereon and constituting a spacing between the fan and hearing end, said support having drive brackets for detachably supporting a shaft drive, and a speed increasing connection between the drive and shaft.

4. In a humidifying unit, a support, a vaporizing casing consisting of an open face casing, an axial hub on said casing and extending forwardly and rearwardly of its face and including a shaft bearing, a shaft revolubly supported in said hub bearing, a water supply discharging centrally of said casing, a rotor disc on said shaft and faced to the casing opening and operable to produce a peripheral water discharge, an annular set of radial teeth interceptively disposed with reference to the peripheral discharge of the disc, and a coupler member adjacent the shaft end including a pair of shaft-receivers, means for detachably interengaging said receivers, one of said receivers having a sleeve-like portion adapted to be fixed to the shaft rearwardly of the rear end of its casing bearing, a fan on said shaft adjacent its end coupler member, and spaced thereon from the bearing end, a second sleeve detachably and replaceably mounted thereon and constituting a spacing between the fan and bearing end, said support having drive brackets for detachably supporting a shaft drive, and a speed increasing connection between the drive and shaft.

5. In a humidifier unit, an open faced vaporizing casing having an elongated hub extending axially of the casing, a shaft rotatably mounted in said hub, a water discharging disc on said shaft. a dished water guard on said shaft and over said hub end behind said disc, radially disposed teeth adjacent the disc periphery and constituting ob structions to the peripheral disc-discharge, said axial hub having a lateral-boss, and a water supply jet through said boss and discharging adjacent the disc center outside of the hub end and guard.

EDWARD SOU'I'HWORTH. GRENVILLE WHITNEY.

for detachably interengaging said receivers, one 

